Cytomegalovirus phosphoprotein 65 and patient-specific tumor-associated antigens (pp65/TAA)

Cytomegalovirus phosphoprotein 65 (pp65), encoded by the UL83 gene, is a major tegument protein of the Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and a primary target for host cell-mediated immunity (UniProt P06725). In oncology, pp65 is a significant therapeutic target because it is frequently expressed in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) but absent from healthy brain tissue (PubMed: 25862088). Patient-specific tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) include neoantigens and shared antigens that are uniquely or over-expressed by a patient's tumor cells. The combination of pp65 and TAAs is utilized in personalized immunotherapy, such as dendritic cell vaccines or adoptive T-cell therapies, to broaden the immune response and prevent tumor escape (PubMed: 30635434). These strategies aim to induce a robust cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response against both viral and tumor-specific epitopes (PubMed: 25762149). This multi-antigen approach is designed to overcome the inherent heterogeneity of tumors and improve clinical outcomes in aggressive cancers like GBM.

Other names

UL8365 kDa lower matrix phosphoproteinNeoantigensTumor-specific antigensTSAsHCMV pp65

Induction of antigen-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses against cells presenting pp65 or tumor-associated antigen-derived peptides on MHC molecules (PubMed: 25762149).